Mary in Malawi

6 september – My very own Abscess! =D

Today I did an abscess draining! =D The child had a giant abscess on his back (abscess: Infektion under the skin or in the fat tissue that causes big pus produktion. The infektion spreads, and creates a ”ball” under the skin). To drain an abscess you must first sterilise the area, and then take a surgical blade and cut a generous opening in the abscess. When you're inside, pus will start pouring out, together with blood. You squeeze out as much as you can, and then you inert your finger and breaks all the pockets of pus that are hiding inside the tissue. I moved my index finger around, and when all the pockets where broken and all the pus had come out, I could feel the boys ribs. With no skin between, i acutally felt the bone. That was amazing!! =D Maybe I really should be a surgeon...? Naaah, tooo many years in school.

Something else that is amazing: 4 days left til Christian arrives!!!! =D

Today we have 5 first year students in OPD. They are very positive and willing to learn, and they seem very intrested in the triage. They have not learned so much yet, so I get to teach a bit. And that's really fun! I love having students. I remember when I was a student I had some really horrible nurses as tutors, they were just pointing out everything I did wrong... I promised myself to never be like that, so I all the time try to encourage the students and focus on what they do good. If they do something wrong, I just show them how they are supposed to do it, and tell them that it is perfectly normal to make misstakes. Trial and error, learning by doing. Thats just the way it is. Everyone has to learn to crawl before you can walk. I think I learned that from my parents. They are both teachers, and have shown me a lot of patience and understanding during all my misstakes and personal disasters when growing up.. ;-)

I'm getting good at making Nzima! I've made it three times now, last time today, I made it all by myself without help. I made it for our gardener and maid for their lunch. The gardener is so happy I'm learning to make Nzima, he says that when I make the perfect Nzima, Im a true Malawian. I'm not really there yet, but I'll keep on trying.. ;)